Cooking and Cookies
by addikhabbo1
Summary: Jaune spent a day learning how to cook, with Ruby telling him how much he sucks at it.
How does one tell their friend when they're doing something wrong?

"Jaune you're doing something wrong." Ruby said, looking over Jaune as he sighed, cleaning his plate on the sink after another failed attempt at baking cookies. He approached her with this idea to help him woo girls in the future, he said. Girls dig cooks. Ruby agreed and then laughed the first time Jaune burned the ingredients needed to bake cookies. Now though it was just painful.

"I know that Ruby." Jaune sighed. "I just wish I knew how to cook, you know? If only this thing didn't keep burning then I might get another shot at Weiss."

Ruby wrinkled her nose. She didn't want to disappoint Jaune but it seemed Weiss seemed more attracted to Neptune over him. She didn't really see the appeal though, when that guy was all talk while her goofy friend knew how to make people laugh.

Well, he made her at any rate. Jaune looked at her with white powder on his nose and Ruby couldn't hold it in, releasing the pent up energy into laughter as she doubled over and held her stomach due to his funny face. Jaune looked hurt, and guilt wringed her heart as she wiped a tear. "I'm sorry... I... Your face, Jaune! Look at it!"

He looked at his reflection from the sink and then sighed, before laughing alongside her. "Yeah, you're right. That is funny." Jauen said, smiling with her. Everyone else was doing something with their weekend, whether it be shopping with Yang or spending time reading books with Blake, or Nora buying a lot of candies (Ruby asked her to buy some for her) dragging Ren to carry their stuff, or how Weiss and Pyrrha were out with Pyrrha introducing Weiss to some of her sponsors for potential business deals in the future.

And here they were, Ruby helping Jaune cook in the kitchen of Beacon Academy.

"I don't get it." Jaune sighed, rubbing his forehead. "I'm preheating the oven at three hundred degree Fahrenheit, mixing the butter, sugar and eggs together and then waiting five minutes for the thing to cook. But I just can't get it like you do Ruby!" Jaune smacked the wall by the sink. "I'll never succeed, not like this."

Wait. Did he say three hundred?

Ruby shook her head. "Nope, you're just doing it wrong." Jaune looked at her curiously. Ruby crossed her arms and gave a serious face as she raised a finger. "First, it's supposed to be three hundred and fifty," She raised another, "Second, you don't mix the butter and sugar with the eggs, and third," She raised another finger, "Five minutes, Jaune? Really? I said ten minutes at minimum at least until the edge of the cookies look edible, and that's not counting all the other steps you've missed or skipped."

Jaune was blushing, now, scratching his head as he gave an awkward laugh. "Ahaha..." He looked at the floor, covered in dough and egg shells, before looking back at Ruby with the same fierce determination he had when he trained with Pyrrha, taking all the punishment and living through the pain.

"Please Ruby," Jaune said, eating his pride as he bowed his head, "Help me become a better cook."

Ruby crossed her arms and looked away, her foot tapping the floor. "I don't know... You sure you're up for it? This isn't just fighting, Jaune. Cooking meals, snacks, and especially cookies takes time and patience. Are you sure you have what it takes?" She asked, sincerity in her voice as she met his eye with silver ones full of hope.

Jaune nodded immediately and pressed his thumb to his chest. "You can count on it." He smirked.

Ruby grinned and then said, "We'll see." She went towards the shelf to obtain another container full of the recipes with ease. "Here, lemme help you this time, and I swear if you don't accept it I'll-" Ruby growled, eyes closed as she raised a shaking fist.

"Okay okay!" Jaune said, raising his arms in surrender at the Huntress before him. "I get your point. Asking help, good, not asking help, bad."

Ruby nodded and smiled. "Finally, at least you're learning."

And then they spent the rest of the day baking cookies, at the end of which Jaune finally managed something almost half as good as the first ones Ruby baked when she was still eight years old. Gingerly taking one baked cookie made with tons of effort, Ruby took in the addictive scent and giggled before holding it with both hands towards her mouth.

Ruby took a bite of the cookie and an odd feeling filled her soul, like fireworks blasting into the sky as a new beginning marked another year in which Heroes succeeded in changing the world and making it a better place.

Jaune looked nervous, fidgeting as he looked anywhere but at her. Ruby took another bite which made Jaune looked as he asked, "Well? What do you think?"

-Baked with effort and hard work and with enough earnesty to ask for help just so they could spend the day together and away from the loneliness of having to spend it alone-

"It's wonderful, Jaune." Ruby said, smiling sincerely as she took another. "Your palm." She said. He raised it in curiosity before she pressed a cookie towards him and smiled once more. "Try it out. You made it after all."

Jaune looked at the cookie with doubt, but with Ruby's words took a bite. His eyes widened in surprised before looking at her delighted face and then shaking his head in realization even as he smiled back. "Couldn't have done it without you."

"Nah." Ruby said, leaning against the fridge as she took another piece between her fingers. "I couldn't help those who wouldn't help themselves. If there's anyone to thank here its you Jaune. Thanks for appreciating my wonderful addiction." She said, glowing as she took another bite.

Jaune felt something steer inside him.

"Anyway now that we're done here I don't have anything else to teach you so-" Ruby was about to walk out of the kitchen, "See ya!" She said, waving her arms as she turned her back to Jaune.

"Wait!" Jaune said, raising his arm as if to hold her from moving away. Ruby looked at him curiously. Jaune realized his position and then straightened and said, "Ahem. I mean, won't you continue helping me? Until I become as good as you? Sure I might kneo how to now but it's not good until its perfection."

"You sure, Jaune? I don't think your cookies will ever be as good as mine." Ruby smirked, challenge in her eyes.

Jaune narrowed his and stepped forward. "Wanna bet? Loser has to help the winner with their homework."

"Ha!" Ruby clapped her hands. "Bring it on, rookie."

"Ah, so prideful." Jaune shook his head. "I'll have you know it'll only be a matter of time before the rookie overthrows the master."

"You said never wrong. Fixed that for you." Ruby raised her hand to her chin as she mimed his voice, "'I, Jaune Arc, will never be as good as Ruby Rose!' And I quote." Ruby said, before she laughed. "You are going to help me with a whole lot of math, Jaune."

"Hehe. We'll see." Jaune said. They left the kitchen unclean as they passed the hallway, orange light from dusk falling down the sky. "Oh right, here."

Ruby looked curiously. "Your palm." Jaune said. Ruby realized what he meant but raised her palms regardless. Jaune placed a tied bag full of cookies on them. He smiled as she blushed.

"Jaune..." Ruby said, finding herself suddenly out of breath.

Jaune blushed too, in gratitude maybe? He scratched his head and smiled as he said, "Thank you, Ruby. For everything."

Ruby hugged the small bag to her chest and smiled once more. "Thank you too, Jaune!"

And they spent the rest of their time together talking about mundane things, from their activities to their classes to their training to, well, this. Ruby didn't open the bag until much later, when they leaned back against the wall beside their dorms.

She took a bite and felt that delighted feeling whenever she's with her best friend even when he's usually out of focus and trying to reach into other things before coming back here, in comfortable companionship with a friend.

The reason the cookie was so good... She remembered the effort her mom used to make before having made the best cookies ever, and Jaune was slowly but surely emulating their style.

The cookie, it was made with love.


End file.
